Paragons - Next Gen

Alternate Attack Rolls

In the Paragons campaign, we will be using an alternate method of determining the success of attacks and powers utilized against other characters. The steps to using your powers and variations on their usage are detailed below.

When you are attacking:

Step 1: Make an Attack Roll
Take any appropriate bonuses you have to hit (from skills, powers, advantages, etc.) and add them to result of a 1d20 roll.
If your attack check meets or exceeds the target’s Defense bonus (Parry or Dodge) +10, then you hit.
If your attack does not require an attack roll (because it has a range of Perception or otherwise does not require a roll to hit), skip this step.

Step 2: Compare the Effect Intensity
Attacks have effects. Attacks that effect Toughness typically deal direct damage, while attacks that target Will often are Afflictions, for example. This is the attack’s Intensity, and is determined by the same 1d20 roll you utilized to attack the target.
If your attack did not previously involve checking against a target’s Defense to hit them (because it is Perception-ranged or something similar), then roll 1d20 now and add the rank of the effect to that result to determine the intensity.
To determine whether or not the Intensity of the attack has a measurable effect (and to what degree of success it has), compare it to the target’s bonus to that Defense type (typically Fortitude, Willpower, or Toughness, but sometimes Dodge) +10.

Now you will have determined if your attack hit or missed, and if it hit, how badly. This is done entirely with one 1d20 roll, regardless of how many Defenses you have to check against.

EXAMPLE

Brigadier and Redline are sparring. Brigadier is attempting to punch Redline with his metallic fists, using his raw strength.

Brigadier begins by rolling an attack check. His bonus to hit is +8 (from 6 Fighting and rank 2 of Close Combat (Unarmed).

He rolls 18. With his +8 to hit, this is a total of 26.

Because this is a close attack, Brigadier compares his attack check result to Redline’s Parry Defense.

Redline’s Parry Defense bonus is +15 (11 from her Enhanced Defenses, 4 from her base Agility), which is added to a base +10 to make her total Parry Defense 25.

Brigadier beats her Parry Defense by 1, and hits.

He then compares the Intensity of the effect (in this case, damage) to Redline’s Toughness. His damage bonus total is +12 (4 from his base Strength, 8 from his Enhanced Strength in his metallic form), which is added to his previous roll of 18 and compared against Redline’s Toughness.

Redline’s Toughness bonus is only +5 (2 from her base Stamina, 3 for 3 ranks of the Defensive Roll Advantage), which is added to a base of +10 to make her total Toughness to be 15.

As a result, Brigadier beats Redline’s Toughness by 15, for a total three degrees of success. This is a knock-out blow, ending the fight in a single hit.

Repercussions of Changes

This rules change does alter the balance of combat somewhat. Because attack rolls and damage rolls are intrinsically linked in this variant, a very high d20 roll will result in both an attack that hits accurately and hits hard, while an attack that barely hits an opponent’s defenses might very well be ineffective against their Toughness as well.

Characters with grossly imbalanced Parry/Dodge vs. Toughness will find that high rolls are particularly devastating, since if someone does roll high enough to hit you, the chances of it being a serious impact are high.

These changes also apply to attacks that have no attack roll, but are less radical as they simply put the onus of meeting a DC on the attacker rather than the defender.